What Will It Take for You? (Guest Post)

 Guest Post:  Today we have a very inspirational guest post by Julie Fleming, J.D., A.C.C., on finding success no matter the odds.  A nice piece to help you change your mindset as you start off the new year.

Julie A. Fleming

Julie A. Fleming

 

 Julie is known as the business development expert for client-based businesses.  Julie consults with client service professionals on all aspects of creating a successful, satisfying and sustainable practice, with a special emphasis on business development and executive coaching.  Julie is the author of The Reluctant Rainmaker:  A Guide for Lawyers Who Hate Selling.  Additional information and resources are available at www.juliefleming.com.   Contact Julie by email to [email protected] or by telephone to 800.758.6214.

What Will It Take For You?

I saw The King’s Speech on New Year’s Day.  You’ll probably see the movie (about the efforts by King George VI, informally known as Bertie, to overcome a stutter around the time he ascended to the throne following the abdication of his brother, King Edward VIII, who left to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson) described as one about stuttering, about royalty, about friendship, about conflicting and social status.  It’s all of that and, to this Anglophile, more besides – a must-see that’s apparently the frontrunner for multiple Oscars.

But beneath all of that, deeper lessons become apparent.  Here are the top three that struck me.

  1. Masks tend to reveal as much as they cover.  In other words, if you pretend to be that which you aren’t, cracks will show.  Perhaps the real you won’t leak through the cracks, but fault lines will reveal that all is not as it appears to be.  Bertie’s speech therapist Lionel Logue opined that no child is born with a stutter and that a left-handed child forced to write with his right hand will never find that motion to be natural.From the business angle… So what?  I’ve had the opportunity to coach professionals who feel they must wear a mask to work with colleagues or to attract clients.  The “lucky” ones are unsuccessful, which prompts them to re-evaluate; lucky and unlucky alike are miserable. Who are you in your business, or in your practice?  As Bob Burg has written, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.”  People are sensitive to hints of inauthenticity and tend not to trust those who wear masks.  So, really, it’s often your choice: would you prefer to lose some business because people sense you are not the person you’re pretending to be, or would you prefer to lose some business because of you are who you are, knowing full well that others will be drawn to you because you are that person? 
  2. Breaking the rules may be precisely the thing that propels you forward.  In The King’s Speech, one of Bertie’s breakthroughs comes with the freedom granted when Logue urges him to curse.  Bertie, a straight-laced royal, soon lets the expletives rip.  I won’t spoil the movie for those who haven’t seen it, but letting loose plays a role later in the movie in an amusing way. Some rules must not be broken – but those who are successful often find certain rules that don’t work for them, and shattering those restrictions also shatters the glass ceiling.  What rules are holding you back?  Are they truly non-negotiable?  If you could break them, how would you do it?  And, most importantly, for the sake of what?  Don’t go breaking rules just to break them. 
  3. Opportunities may arise in the form of problems or defeat.  Take them anyway.  Bertie was never supposed to be king.  His wife (the woman most of us knew as the Queen Mother) never wanted to be queen.  And yet, when King Edward VIII abdicated, Bertie and Queen Elizabeth stepped up at a crucial time in British history.  Bertie found his voice because he had to work for it.  England would likely have come through World War II and the Blitz regardless, but to hear English citizens of those years talk, the leadership shown by the “shouldn’t-have-been-royals” shaped the courage and determination of a generation.  Bertie did what was necessary to stand as a leader; his country modeled what he did.What opportunities are in front of you?  Which have come in the guise of defeat?  Perhaps you made a proposal to a potential client and lost.  What will you do?  One of my clients asked why, received valuable feedback, and proceeded to convert the prospect into a client within a matter of days for a parallel project created solely because the prospect wanted to work with her.  Perhaps you launched a program or a product and no one bought.  What opportunity can you spy when you take your eye off the failure?

Comments on how you can use these ideas in your own business?  Julie and I welcome your thoughts in the comments section, below. 

HealthyBuilt Homes Program- is it for you? (Tue Tip)

NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program

Are you a North Carolina builder or designer interested in energy-efficient homes?  Want a “marketing edge” with your clients, to demonstrate why you are the professional they should use for the construction of their new home? 

If so, then check out the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program website, which features checklists, requirements, and links to other  information on tax incentives for building healthier, greener homes.  In the builder section of the website, they even include a downloadable brochure for your customers, to help you stand out from the crowd.

Questions? Comments?  Part of the HealthyBuilt program?  Share your thoughts in the comments section.

 

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”

Winston Churchill

The title of this post is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill.  While he may not have had to deal with running a design or construction firm during an economic shake-up, he did know a thing or two about surviving.  This is one of the men, after all, who had to deal with Nazis.

As the clock ticks down on 2010, and 2011 prepares to make her grand entrance, take Sir Winston’s advice and plan your attack as you keep moving through the sluggish economy.  Spend a few minutes planning and strategizing for your architecture, engineering, or contracting business.  Times are lean and work is slow.  Use this time to your advantage.  I have several marketing-related blogs on my Blogroll — check them out and read over their archives for ideas.  If you find other resources you think I should add, let me know.  In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a few more motivational quotes: 

Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.
Henry Ford
  
The only man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything.
Theodore Roosevelt
  
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas A. Edison
  
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Photo:  “Sir Winston Churchill, 1874-1965” by JanickG via Flickr/Creative Commons license.

Make this Year Better than the Last (Tue Tip)

door

Marketing starts with getting in the door!

Want to polish your marketing skills?  Two upcoming webinars will discuss how to  “Make this Year Better than the Last”  for contractors.

David Lupberger, owner of The Remodeler’s Turnkey Program and author of Managing the Emotional Homeowner, is presenting a “recession-proof” business model that claims to increase sales.  In the webinar, he will review the concept of a proactive home care business model that some contractors are using to book work as much as 12 months in advance. 

Two sessions are scheduled:

Wednesday, December 29 at 11 am Eastern   or  Thursday, January 6 at 8 pm Eastern

Sign up to learn more about this marketing concept!  And then stop by here and tell me what you liked or didn’t like about the webinar and any useful insight you got.

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Photo: White House Front Door by Luigi Crespo via Flickr/Creative Commons license.

Lead Generation – Best Practices (Tues Tip)

As 2010 is winding down, you may be ramping up your planning for a successful 2011.  If so, consider attending a free webinar tomorrow afternoon discussing “Best Practices” in lead generation.

  • What:  Best Practices in Lead Generation (by the Construction Marketing Association)
  • When:  Wednesday, December 15th at 1pm Eastern
  • How:  Register (for free) here

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Clipboard

 Also, if you have not yet had a chance to do so, please take my lightening quick, 10 question survey about this blog.  I’m closing the survey later this week, so this is your last chance to have your say!

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Photo “Clipboard” by Schzmo via Wikimedia.